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Google Cloud Billing MCP server

Create a powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Google Cloud Billing to manage cloud costs, set budgets, monitor spending, and track resource usage across your GCP projects. This integration enables AI agents to automate cost governance, create billing alerts, and analyze cloud spending patterns with secure service account authentication.

Setting up an MCP server

This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the individual application pages.

Before you begin​

You'll need:

  • Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers
  • API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the relevant application page for what to collect)

Create an MCP server​

Find the API in the catalog​

  1. Sign in to AI Gateway and select MCP Servers from the left navigation.
  2. Select New MCP Server.
  3. Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.

Configure the server​

  1. Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose (for example, "Zendesk Support — Prod").
  2. Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
  3. Set the Timeout value. 30 seconds works for most APIs; increase to 60 seconds for APIs that return large payloads.
  4. Toggle Production mode on if this server will be used in a live workflow.
  5. Select Next.

Configure authentication​

Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section of the relevant application page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.

Configure security​

  1. Set any Rate limits appropriate for your use case and the API's own limits.
  2. Enable Logging if you want AI Gateway to record requests and responses for auditing.
  3. Select Next.

Deploy​

Review the summary, then select Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.

Connect to an AI client​

Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:

Tips​

  • You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
  • If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
  • You can edit a server's name, description, timeout, and security settings after deployment without redeploying.

Authentication​

Google Cloud Billing uses OAuth 2.0 with service accounts for API access. You'll create a service account in your Google Cloud project and download a JSON key file that contains the credentials. The service account needs the Billing Account Administrator role (or a custom role with billing permissions like billing.accounts.get, billing.accounts.list, billing.budgets.*). The Google OAuth endpoint is https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token, and the integration requires scopes https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-billing for billing data access and https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform for broader GCP operations.

Available tools​

These tools let AI agents monitor spending, manage budgets, track project costs, and analyze service pricing. Together they provide full visibility into cloud expenses and enable automated cost governance.

ToolDescription
List billing accountsRetrieve all billing accounts you have access to
Get billing accountFetch details for a specific billing account
List projectsFind all projects linked to a billing account
Get project billingCheck if a project has billing enabled
Update project billingEnable or disable billing for a project
List budgetsView all budgets for a billing account
Create budgetSet up a spending limit with alert thresholds
Get budgetView details of a specific budget
Update budgetModify budget amount or alert levels
Delete budgetRemove a budget
List servicesFind all GCP services and their pricing
Get SKU pricingRetrieve pricing details for a specific service (for example, Compute Engine)

Tips​

Query billing accounts and projects regularly to track spending across your organization and identify cost trends.

Create budgets at different thresholds (50%, 80%, 100%) to alert teams before they overspend beyond expected limits.

Automate budget creation for new projects or teams — set default budgets when projects are created, then update them as requirements change.

Use the services and SKU pricing tools to understand what different resources cost and help teams optimize by identifying expensive services.

Enable billing for new projects in development environments to track early usage patterns and catch unintended cost drivers.

Disable billing in staging before production cutover to prevent accidental charges for non-production resources.

Build a dashboard that queries billing data periodically to monitor spending trends and spending against budgets.

Export billing data to BigQuery or a data warehouse for finance team analysis and chargeback calculations.